Health in West Bengal

Hospitals and doctors, mortality and vaccination, nutrition and anaemia, disease burden, and who pays for care in West Bengal.

Infant mortality is below India's (17 vs 25 in 2023) and vaccination coverage is higher on every antigen. Maternal mortality is not: at 104 per 100,000 live births it has been above the national figure since 2017-19. Seven in ten women are anaemic, and 74 of 1,388 required specialist posts at rural health centres are filled.

Data: latest 2023· 9 sourcesMethodology →
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Key figures & data tables

West Bengal’s infant mortality rate was 17 per 1,000 live births in 2023 (Sample Registration System), against 25 for India. The maternal mortality ratio was 104 per 100,000 live births in 2021-23, above India’s 88 and the SDG target of 70; West Bengal ranks #13 of 19 large states. In NFHS-5 (2019-21), 91.7% of births were in a health facility (India 88.6%) and 88.2% of children aged 12-23 months were fully vaccinated (India 76.6%).

The state had 1,510 government hospitals with 97,000 beds on 31 December 2022, 71,336 of them in urban areas. At rural Community Health Centres, 74 specialists were in post against 1,388 required (2023).

71.4% of women and 69% of children are anaemic (India 57% and 67.1%), and 33.8% of children under five are stunted (India 35.5%). Out-of-pocket spending was 58.3% of total health expenditure in 2021-22, against 39.4% for India.

The rows behind the charts above — 19 tables

›Government hospitals and beds, West Bengal vs India (31 December 2022)(6 rows)

Government hospitals of central, state and local bodies. Source: RBI Handbook of Statistics on Indian States 2024-25, Table 17 (National Health Profile).

Government hospitals and beds, West Bengal vs India (31 December 2022)
MeasureWest BengalIndia
Hospitals, rural1,29330,125
Hospitals, urban2176,501
Hospitals, total1,51036,626
Beds, rural25,6643,07,552
Beds, urban71,3365,32,903
Beds, total97,0008,40,455
›Specialists at rural Community Health Centres in West Bengal(6 rows)

Doctors at rural Primary Health Centres, and surgeons, obstetricians & gynaecologists, physicians and paediatricians at rural Community Health Centres, as of 31 March. Shortfall = required minus in position. Source: RBI Handbook of Statistics on Indian States 2024-25, Table 16 (Rural Health Statistics, MoHFW).

Specialists at rural Community Health Centres in West Bengal
Year (31 March)RequiredSanctionedIn positionVacantShortfall
2005380310133177247
20151,3881,7921141,6781,274
20201,3921,422641781751
20211,392328672611,325
20221,392289971921,295
20231,3889874241,314
›Doctors at rural Primary Health Centres in West Bengal(6 rows)

Source: RBI Handbook of Statistics on Indian States 2024-25, Table 16 (Rural Health Statistics, MoHFW).

Doctors at rural Primary Health Centres in West Bengal
Year (31 March)RequiredSanctionedIn positionVacant
20051,1731,5601,319241
20159092,6007231,877
20209131,3901,098292
20219151,533955578
20229151,538975563
20239101,4051,247158
›West Bengal infant mortality rate (IMR) vs India, by year(14 rows)

Infant deaths per 1,000 live births. Source: Sample Registration System, via RBI Handbook of Statistics on Indian States 2024-25, Table 4.

West Bengal infant mortality rate (IMR) vs India, by year
YearWest BengalIndia
20103147
20113244
20123242
20133140
20142839
20152637
20162534
20172433
20182232
20192030
20201928
20211827
20221726
20231725
›West Bengal maternal mortality ratio (MMR) vs India(14 rows)

Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Source: Sample Registration System, via RBI Handbook of Statistics on Indian States 2024-25, Table 5.

West Bengal maternal mortality ratio (MMR) vs India
PeriodWest BengalIndia
1999-01218327
2001-03194301
2004-06141254
2007-09145212
2010-12117178
2011-13113167
2014-16101130
2015-1794122
2016-1898113
2017-19109103
2018-2010397
2019-2110993
2020-2210588
2021-2310488
›Child vaccination coverage in West Bengal vs India, by antigen(5 rows)

Children age 12-23 months, vaccinated at any time before the survey (card or mother’s report). DPT3 = Penta or DPT dose 3. Source: NFHS-5 (2019-21) India Report, IIPS, Table 9.5.

Child vaccination coverage in West Bengal vs India, by antigen
VaccineWest Bengal (%)India (%)
BCG98.695.2
DPT395.387
Polio390.880.5
Measles (MCV)94.487.9
Fully vaccinated88.276.6
›NFHS-5 nutrition indicators, West Bengal vs India(6 rows)

Source: NFHS-5 (2019-21) India Report, IIPS (state tables).

NFHS-5 nutrition indicators, West Bengal vs India
IndicatorWest Bengal (%)India (%)NFHS-5 table
Children under 5 stunted33.835.5Table 10.2
Children under 5 wasted20.319.3Table 10.2
Children under 5 underweight32.232.1Table 10.2
Children under 5 overweight4.33.4Table 10.2
Women 15-49 thin (BMI < 18.5)14.818.7Table 10.20.1
Men 15-49 thin (BMI < 18.5)15.116.2Table 10.20.2
›NFHS-5 child mortality, fertility and marriage indicators, West Bengal vs India(6 rows)

Source: NFHS-5 (2019-21) India Report, IIPS (state tables).

NFHS-5 child mortality, fertility and marriage indicators, West Bengal vs India
IndicatorWest BengalIndiaNFHS-5 table
Neonatal mortality (per 1,000 live births)15.524.9Table 7.4
Infant mortality (per 1,000 live births)2235.2Table 7.4
Under-five mortality (per 1,000 live births)25.341.9Table 7.4
Total fertility rate (children per woman)1.641.99Table 4.3
Women 18-29 first married by age 18 (%)42.324.7Table 6.4
Women 15-19 who have begun childbearing (%)16.46.8Table 4.11
›Anaemia in West Bengal vs India (NFHS-5)(3 rows)

Source: NFHS-5 (2019-21) India Report, IIPS, Tables 10.13 and 10.24.

Anaemia in West Bengal vs India (NFHS-5)
GroupWest Bengal (%)India (%)
Women 15-4971.457
Children 6-59 months6967.1
Men 15-493925.1
›Dengue cases and deaths in West Bengal, by year(3 rows)

Source: NCVBDC (MoHFW) state-wise dengue table. West Bengal reported 441 dengue cases to NCVBDC for 2024 and nothing for 2025 (provisional), so those years are not shown.

Dengue cases and deaths in West Bengal, by year
YearCasesDeaths
20218,2647
202267,27130
202330,6834
›Malaria cases and deaths in West Bengal(1 rows)

Source: NCVBDC Malaria Annual Report 2023.

Malaria cases and deaths in West Bengal
YearCasesDeaths
202326,4932
›Public health facilities in West Bengal by tier, with shortfall(9 rows)

NHSRC Health Dossier — West Bengal (2021) (RHS 2019-20 / NHP 2020 (tabulated in NHSRC Health Dossier 2021, published Jan 2022)). AB-HWC = Ayushman Bharat Health & Wellness Centres: 5,260 functional on 22 Dec 2021 against a cumulative target of 9,951 by FY 2022-23 (a target, not a population norm). SC/PHC/CHC shortfall is against population-based norms in Rural Health Statistics 2019-20.

Public health facilities in West Bengal by tier, with shortfall
Facility tierLevelFunctionalRequired (norm)TargetShortfall (%)
Sub-CentrePeripheral10,35713,22521.69
Primary Health CentrePrimary9132,17658.04
Community Health CentrePrimary34854436.03
Urban PHCPrimary45669734.58
Sub-Divisional HospitalSecondary60
District HospitalSecondary18
Medical College (Govt)Tertiary19
Medical College (Private)Tertiary6
AB-HWC functionalPrimary5,2609,951
›Disease burden by category — share of DALYs, West Bengal vs India(3 rows)

India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative (ICMR + PHFI + IHME), via NHSRC Health Dossier 2021 (GBD 2019 (categories) + GBD 2021 (stroke trend)).

Disease burden by category — share of DALYs, West Bengal vs India
CategoryWest Bengal (% DALYs)India (% DALYs)
Non-communicable diseases66.0261.43
Communicable / maternal / neonatal22.5927.46
Injuries11.3911.11
›Leading causes of disease burden and communicable causes of death in West Bengal(2 rows)

India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative (ICMR + PHFI + IHME), via NHSRC Health Dossier 2021 (GBD 2019). The two lists are not ranked against each other.

Leading causes of disease burden and communicable causes of death in West Bengal
ListCauses
Largest causes of DALYsIschaemic heart disease; Intracerebral haemorrhage (stroke); COPD
Main communicable causes of deathDiarrhoeal diseases; Lower respiratory infections; Drug-susceptible TB
›Stroke incidence and DALY rate in West Bengal, 1990 and 2021(2 rows)

Per 100,000 population. Source: Peer-reviewed analysis of GBD 2021 data (Scientific Reports, 2024); not a government table.

Stroke incidence and DALY rate in West Bengal, 1990 and 2021
YearIncidence per 100,000DALYs per 100,000
19901052,308
20211483,028
›Health service utilisation, West Bengal vs India(3 rows)

NHSRC Health Dossier — West Bengal (2021) (HMIS 2019-20 and NSS 75th round 2017-18).

Health service utilisation, West Bengal vs India
IndicatorWest BengalIndiaUnit
OPD visits per 1,000 population1,359.031,337.1events
IPD admissions per 1,000 population7062.6events
Major surgeries per 10,000 population37.0536.4events
›Share of care sought at public facilities, West Bengal vs India(4 rows)

Source: NSS 75th Round (2017-18), via NHSRC Health Dossier 2021.

Share of care sought at public facilities, West Bengal vs India
Type of careWest Bengal (%)India (%)
OPD rural (public share)3333
OPD urban (public share)2226
IPD rural (public share)7446
IPD urban (public share)5935
›Out-of-pocket health expenditure share, West Bengal vs India(2 rows)

Source: National Health Accounts 2021-22 (NHSRC); 2017-18 via NHSRC Health Dossier 2021.

Out-of-pocket health expenditure share, West Bengal vs India
YearWest Bengal (%)India (%)
2017-1869.848.8
2021-2258.339.4
›Neonatal and post-neonatal mortality, West Bengal vs India(5 rows)

Registrar General of India, SRS Statistical Report 2021, Statements 47-49. All rates are SRS three-year averages for 2019-21. Late neonatal = neonatal minus early neonatal; post-neonatal = infant minus neonatal. 74.5% of West Bengal's infant deaths occur in the first 28 days, against 71.9% for India. Rates per 1,000 live births.

Neonatal and post-neonatal mortality, West Bengal vs India
MeasureWB totalWB ruralWB urbanIndia total
Infant mortality18.919.417.328.4
Neonatal (0-28 days)13141219
Early neonatal (0-6 days)1010914
Late neonatal (7-28 days)3435
Post-neonatal (29 days-1 year)5.95.45.39.4